He played with a purpose dating back to the days at Strake Jesuit, and then at Rice before his professional career in the NFL and XFL.
What you may not know is that he tackles his work in our community with as much passion as he had on the field.
"I found out that the thing that allowed me to be better was I was able to lean into my community," Ellerbee said. "I was able to have mentors, guys I would lean on and now that you know the mantle of the past onto me, and I need to pass it on."
Next Saturday, his foundation, Bee's Believers, will host their fourth annual football camp at Rice. Bee's Believers mission is to provide students from underrepresented communities opportunities through athletics and STEM, so that they may have the chance to discover new passions, on and off the field.
"We're trying to show the campers that come that we want you to go play football at the high level," Ellerbee said. "We want you to ball out to take that next step. But once you finish playing, that doesn't mean the journey's over."
Campers will be treated to discussions with retired NFL players that have made their transition to life off the field. Former Texans player ND Kalu, who played in the NFL for 12 years, will talk about how to be successful in real estate. Former Owl Andrew Sendejo will discuss cognitive health. Fort Bend Marshall grad Antwon Blake will also be there to talk about mental health. Blake also works on custom cars and has written three children's books.
"I think seeing is believing," Ellerbee said. "You can talk about it is one thing, but if you see someone is actually doing it; it's like they have laid out the path, now I just have to add my twist into it."
Ellerbee is all about learning, teaching, and giving everyone the opportunity to enrich their lives. That opportunity extends to current Rice players, giving them knowledge that extends beyond the field.
"At first I was like, okay, let me just see what this is about, but as I got to know Emmanuel, I realized the type of man he is, and he inspired me to be kind of like him when I'm older," Rice linebacker and Alief Taylor grad Blaise Tati said.
"He talks a lot about the correlation from business to football, and it goes hand-in-hand," Rice defensive back Marcus William said. "You want to wake up and go to work every day just how you would do on a football field. It's all tied in together."
There are limited spots available for the free football camp for girls and boys ages 7 to 15. Click the link to register.